Saturday, August 15, 2009

SHAH ALAM: A lawyer challenged a suggestion by a senior forensic pathologist that Teoh Beng Hock may have committed suicide.

Gobind Singh Deo, who is holding a watching brief for the political aide’s family, suggested that Dr Khairul Azman Ibrahim was not able to factually support his contention on the possible cause of Teoh’s death.

When he said he did not as this was not needed in the case, Gobind asked: “So, you couldn’t tell if his shoes were too loose for him as you didn’t measure his feet. In this particular case the shoe was found far away from the body. How far was it?

Gobind: It’s good to measure isn’t it? You cannot tell us how the shoe got there. You are in no position to tell us!

Dr Khairul Azman: It could have come off when he fell.

Gobind then said that logically, if the shoe was tight, this would not have happened.

When he asked if there was a possibility that Teoh was thrown out first and then the shoe, Dr Khairul Azman replied: “Yes, there is a possibility.”

Gobind: In that case, it is indicative of a homicide. Did you address that possibility?

Dr Khairul Azman: Yes, there is a possibility.Gobind: Did you test the shoe for fingerprints? Dr Khairul Azman: No

Gobind: Is it significant?

Dr Khairul Azman: Yes

Gobind: Why didn’t you do it?

Dr Khairul Azman: I expected the police to do it.

Gobind: But you didn’t get them to do it because it would have indicated a homicide. Were you covering it up?

Dr Khairul Azman: No, I am not covering up.

Gobind then asked Dr Khairul Azman how he reckoned Teoh had come out of the window and the pathologist stepped out of the witness stand and demonstrated how he thought Teoh had jumped.

(While doing so, he demonstrated how he thought Teoh would have stood on the bottom ledge and gripped its top ledge.)

When Gobind asked Dr Khairul Azman if there would have been shoe prints or hand prints on the window frame if Teoh had jumped off in that manner, the pathologist agreed, adding that there was a possibility the footprints were not noticed.

“You said in your theory that he stood there and jumped. You went there, there were no footprints,” Gobing pointed out.

He suggested that Dr Khairul Azman had given theories that he could not support with facts.

“In this case your theory is demolished. It was not suicide, sir. Your theories come to naught. You are wrong!” said Gobind.

Dr Khairul Azman said he did not agree as one of the reasons there was no footprints was because Teoh had walked on the carpeted floor which had no dust.

Beng Hock's baby boy born

Important!

Sdr Teoh Beng Hock (1979-2009)

We are mourning the death of Sdr Teoh Beng Hock who passed away on 16th July 2009.

Sdr Beng Hock was invited by the Selangor MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) to assist in their investigation into constituency allocations. He went to the MACC Headquarters at around 5.40pm on 15th July 2009 but never came back. His body was found on the 5th floor of Wisma Masalam at 1pm on 16th July, less than 20 hours later. The MACC office is located on the 14th floor of the same building.

Sdr Beng Hock previously worked as a reporter for Sin Chew Daily and joined the office of Selangor Exco, Ean Yong Hian Wah after the 2008 General Election as the latter's political secretary. He was a helpful and diligent young man, liked by all who worked with him and cherished by those who are his good friends.

The death of Sdr Beng Hock is shrouded in mystery and a slew of unanswered questions. It involved a power law enforcement agency in the country – MACC - that was supposed to protect the interests of the people and the country. There have been many police custodial deaths but this is the first case of death in the custody of the MACC.

We demand answers and a detailed explanation of the death of Sdr Beng Hock. We demand justice for Sdr Beng Hock!